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Letter: Negotiations influence withdrawal

The Columbian
Published: September 30, 2014, 5:00pm

Reading Robert Kerr’s Sept. 25 letter “Revelation late for effective action,” I must correct Kerr’s misapprehension that President Barack Obama had a real choice about leaving a “withdrawal transitional force” in Iraq. President George W. Bush’s administration negotiated the terms of the withdrawal from Iraq and did not include a “withdrawal transitional force.”

President Obama’s administration thought it would be prudent to retain a small number of troops but then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki insisted that any troops left must be subject to Iraqi law. I cannot believe that Kerr would agree that U.S. troops in Iraq should be subject to Iraqi law. If he does not, then he has a least one point of agreement with President Obama and our military commanders.

Gayle T. Meltesen

Camas

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